An Atypical Patient
by CDragon510
Summary: The patient Sakura never wanted to see visits her office. She wasn't expecting much, but the situation started blowing up in her face.
1. Chapter 1

First attempt - plz be nice!

Out of all the people who Sakura did not wish to see, Madara was the one she wanted to see the least. Ever since she was a kid, Madara always seemed to sneak into her playdates with Sasuke and Naruto. He'd intruded in several hide-and-seek games when they were in elementary school. In middle school, Sakura could remember even now, Madara would steal Sasuke's seat at Ichiraku's whenever he got up to use the bathroom even though Naruto, Sasuke, and she kept telling him they'd prefer if he didn't show up to their dinners. In high school, Madara infiltrated their homeroom class and pretended to be a teacher for half a day. In college, he "serenaded" the three on several friday nights exactly at 9:30 pm with his electric guitar. In medical school … well, in medical school he left Sakura alone. Admittedly, a lot of his pranks were funny, but she was going to get an earful from Sasuke if he ever found out that she'd interacted with his uncle.

Yet here the infamous uncle was. In her waiting room.

"What do you want," she sighed, pointedly flipping through the papers on her clipboard. "I'm busy."

The man before her smirked. "I'm here for my annual checkup." He began stripping off his jacket in the middle of her clinic's waiting room. Several pairs of eyes snapped to his flexed back. Sakura hated to acknowledge it, but Madara had a very athletic body and it was easy to see; he was wearing a tank top under his jacket.

"Oh god," Sakura rolled her eyes. Did he really have to do this in the _waiting room?_ "Would you hurry up?" She gestured at the hallway behind her.

"Of course," he replied smoothly, slipping through the door.

"Last room."

Silently, the pink-haired doctor followed her patient into a room at the end of the hall, and she let the door shut behind her. "Today I'll be doing a blood test, and I'll be taking some measurements - the usual," she said. "Let's get this over with. Here, stand on the scale."

She flipped to a fresh sheet and scrawled 'Madara Uchiha' across the top. Firmly, she set her eyes on the number in front of her, paying no attention to Madara's antics.

"It's all muscle," he drawled, gesturing to his arms and abs.

Sakura smacked his hand aside after recording his weight. "I'm going to record your height now."

She reached up to lower the ticker on the height rod, but her hand couldn't quite reach. A large, calloused hand slid past hers to easily lower the ticker to the top of a black mane. Sakura brushed away the tiny flutter in her heart. Dammit, the man was attractive, but she was going to keep things professional.

"I got it," the patient said smoothly. "5 foot 8."

The doctor clicked her pen and scribbled in the numbers, afterwards methodically scanning through the remaining blanks. She reached into a cabinet and produced a sphygmomanometer.

"I'm going to record your blood pressure now." She moved to wrap the device's strap around his arm, but before she did, she sighed exasperatedly. "Stop flexing."

They sat in silence as the whirring noise of the device filled the room. The strap inflated, allowing Sakura to record the number. She looked at it, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

"Your blood pressure seems to be a little high. Have you been eating and sleeping alright?"

"I'd be eating and sleeping better if you stayed with me," Madara winked.

"God, you're so embarrassing."

Drawing blood was next.

"Sit," she commanded, motioning to the chair in the corner. He did just this, laying his arm on the table beside him. He watched Sakura lower herself into the swivel chair beside him with interest. Skillfully, she wrapped a tourniquet on him, cleaned off a spot on his arm, and drew out a needle from a nearby drawer. She did her best to ignore the prying, obsidian eyes as she positioned the needle above his skin. She could feel her cheeks glowing at this. Just as she was about to stick the needle in…

"Wanna go on a date?"

Immediately, Sakura fumbled with the needle in her hands and her knee slammed into the bottom of the table, rattling the supplies on top. She coughed violently into her sleeve. Her heart began racing and heat rushed up her chest and into her cheeks. Her brain blanked. She stared at a spot on the floor tiles to refocus herself and took deep, shaky breaths.

 _That came out of nowhere!_

Yes. She had always thought Madara was attractive. Yes. Madara might have played some annoying pranks that got on her nerves, but Sakura could very clearly recall several moments in which he'd taken a genuine interest in her emotions. There were several occasions, in fact, in which he'd made her laugh, smile, or blush; he'd let her borrow his shoulder while she was crying over the ending of a sappy soap drama. Also, yes, she knew that they had similar interests when it came to books, movies, and martial arts. Her face scrunched up at these thoughts.

"That's adorable," Madara snickered. He leaned in and offered a handsome smile. His breath ghosted over her warm cheeks. "How about it, hm?"

As quickly as she could manage, Sakura recollected herself and put on her poker face. Wordlessly, she plunged the needle into Madara's arm before she could lose focus and drew out blood, pushing the hiccup out of her brain. She had a job to do.

 _Concentrate._

With precision, she removed the needle and quickly stuck a band-aid on his arm, making very little effort to be gentle. Yet, she floundered with the tourniquet. The darn thing just wouldn't untie.

That was when Madara reached over and unwrapped the tourniquet from his arm. He placed it into her hands, and she could _swear_ that the tips of his fingers lingered for a second longer than it should have on her palms. Her heart skipped a beat at this, and she quickly - angrily, even - jumped out of her chair and stomped towards the door, blood sample in hand.

"I'll be back," she growled. "Don't. Move."

She slammed the door shut and began banging her forehead on the wall. Maybe this was just another one of Madara's pranks. Maybe this was some kind of sick bet with Sasuke. Maybe he just wanted to mess with her and get a reaction. Yeah that was probably it.

 _Don't get so excited,_ she reminded herself. _I'm sure he's just trying to annoy me. Just like those pranks he used to pull._

She regained her composure and handed off the blood sample to her intern, who had heard the loud thumping.

"ARGHH!" Sakura smacked her head in her hands in frustration as she pressed her back against the wall.

 _Why did he have to invite me on a date!? He_ _ **completely**_ _just …. URGH!_

Every time Sakura thought she was above Madara's uber-confident, suave personality, she realized she wasn't soon after. For a few minutes, she tried reinforcing that Madara wasn't serious about the date, but a creeping giddiness overtook her. Not even knowing that Sasuke might lecture her could dampen the hope swelling in her chest.

"Ms. Haruno?"

She immediately stopped pulling at her hair and turned to face her intern, who shyly handed her Madara's blood test.

"Ahem … Thank you." She plucked the papers from her intern's hands and took a deep breath after reading the numbers.

 _You can do this._

She shut her eyes and pulled open the door.

"Madara, I have your results. Everything appears to be normal, but … MADARA UCHIHA, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Her cheeks flushed angrily and her head swirled in a daze at the sight of Madara unbuttoning his jeans. His jacket and tank top were tossed carelessly over the exam table, and his thumbs were stuck through through his belt loops provocatively. A sly smirk slid over his lips.

"I've been having pains all over my body. I wanted some professional advice."

Embarrassed, Sakura fixed her eyes upon the wall and away from Madara's sculpted body. Normally, she wouldn't have any problems with seeing shirtless men, but Madara had completely caught her off guard.

"Can't you do that with your clothes on!? At least warn me next time!"

She stood in silence for a moment before she felt a presence right in front of her. A warm hand clasped hers and guided it up a bare chest. Madara's large hand secured Sakura's slimmer hand over his beating heart.

Sakura swore that she was the color of a tomato in that moment. Her jaw slackened in shock. Her eyes shot from the toned chest to Madara's obsidian eyes, which shone with passion.

"My problem… is that I have chest pains when I think of you." She could feel his steady heartbeat quicken beneath her fingertips. Blush dusted Madara's cheeks as he used his free hand to brush a stray strand of hair out of Sakura's face.

"Do you know how to heal this?" His voice was laced with anguish.

His eyes seemed to search her heart. At the same time, his soul was laid bare for her to witness. She could see his desire. She could see his frustration. She could see his sincerity.

Shock. Confusion. Joy. Anxiety. Anger. These emotions flooded Sakura's mind all at once. It had all happened so suddenly, she didn't know how to react.

Before she could register how she truly felt, her mind quickly succumbed to darkness, and her legs gave out from beneath her.

"Sakura? Can you hear me?"

A familiar, deep voice filled the darkness. It was colored with worry. Her name continued to echo in hushed whispers. In a way, it was comforting. Her entire body was blanketed with warmth, and the tenderest of fingers stroked her cheek. She could feel herself leaning into the caress. A faint chuckle ensued.

"Sakura … I'm going to kiss you if you don't wake up right now."

 _What?_

Emerald eyes snapped open as a fist flew forward out of instinct. A cold sweat ran down her spine as she felt that her punch was caught.

"Geez, you still hit like a tank," Madara chuckled. He was leaned over her on the exam table (thankfully, clothed), towel in hand. His other hand had a firm grip on her fist. "Are you alright? You were out for a few minutes."

She tentatively retracted her fist before rubbing her temples in exhaustion. "I'm ok … what hap-" She stopped, eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly, everything that had happened before she passed out came rushing back into her mind. Heat engulfed her body.

 _Oh my god_ , she screamed internally, refusing to meet Madara's eyes. _So much for keeping things professional._

A moment of silence passed between them before Sakura dared speak.

"W-were you serious?" She timidly glanced in Madara's direction. "About what you said?"

He held her gaze and nodded, his face completely serious. "Yes." The Uchiha replied without hesitation.

Upon hearing his reply, Sakura sat up and exhaled loudly. This was it. Today, she was going to die of excitement.

"I guess … I guess _Ilikeyoutoo_ ," she blurted out, crossing her arms and glaring at the floor. She tried to ignore the flushing in her cheeks.

 _Dammit, brain._

"What was that?" He placed a hand on her waist. The other tilted her chin upwards, forcing her to confront him. Clearly, Madara was having a lot of fun with the situation.

Sakura's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Her tongue was dry. "I like you too," she coughed out. "A lot."

"Good," Madara smirked. Slowly - carefully - he closed the distance between them and planted a light kiss on her lips. Sakura's breath hitched, but she refused to admit that she wanted the man to kiss her harder. "Dinner tonight at 7, then?" His lips brushed over hers softly.

"...Ok."

He pulled away, a content smile on his face. "I'll pick you up. Dress nicely. I'll see you later." He leaned in to kiss her on her forehead before turning around and striding out.

Indeed, today, Sakura was going to die of excitement.

She almost didn't hear her cell phone going off. Bewildered by the sudden noise, she blinked rapidly before pulling it out of her pocket and fumbling to press the call button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sakura, I just wanted to warn you that my uncle's heading over to your clinic."

"Yeah, I just finished …" Green eyes remained glued to the door, and the beginning of Sasuke's rant fell on deaf ears.


	2. Chapter 2

Madara couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he stared at his image in the hallway mirror of the Uchiha household. Not a single wrinkle could be seen on his custom tailored suit. Smoothly, he readjusted his cuffs and the leather belt around his hips. He slipped on his new dress shoes energetically and tightened the silky black tie around his neck.

Never had Madara actually thought the little spitfire would actually agree to go on a date with him. He could safely say that she was why he had a spring in his step as he reached for his sports car keys on the kitchen table.

"Uncle, you've had a disgusting smile on your face all day long and you're dressed like you're going out. Care to say what happened?"

"Ah, Sasuke." He turned to face his nephew, who was scrolling through a webpage on his phone. "Let's just say that tonight, I am the most fortunate man on this planet." He casually swung the keys around his index finger as he leaned his elbow on the table.

Sasuke brow furrowed. "What, are you getting a promotion? I can't think of anything higher than Chief-of-Police."

"Mmm, not quite," the elder Uchiha responded, reaching over and ruffling his nephew's spiky hair. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him. Unsurprisingly, Madara's hand was quickly swatted away; he did not miss the utter revulsion deep in Sasuke's eyes.

"By the way, Uncle." Sasuke shot him an angry glare just as Madara turned. "I suggest that you don't bother Sakura while she's working. She told me that you showed up today." The younger Uchiha sneered. "Don't waste your time. She'll never be interested in you."

At this, Madara chortled. "We'll see, dear Sasuke."

"I'm serious. I know you like her, but it's never going to happen."

"We'll see."

XXXX

An hour later, he and Sakura were nicely situated across from each other at the finest sushi restaurant in town. Of course, his date had objected to eating at such an expensive establishment the minute he pulled into the parking lot, but after some coaxing (and a little smolder), she'd stalked into the restaurant with that adorable blush on her cheeks.

Madara had ordered the best sake and the most delicious fish, all recommended by the restaurant's chef; there was no way he was going to skimp on a date with the woman he loved. Besides, it wasn't like the dinner was going to put a dent in his wallet. Everything had to be perfect, from the food to the music to the decor. Admittedly, he'd put considerable effort into convincing the staff to dim the lights and light more candles for a more romantic setting. But nothing was as perfect as she was.

She looked positively, absolutely, unquestionably beautiful in the candle light. Sakura's pink tresses were swept into a loose ponytail, and her royal blue dress did much to show off her curves. The blue fabric clung to her frame in all the right places, and the plunging neckline was definitely to be appreciated. He admired her delicately painted lips, his focus lingering at the delicate arches of her cupid's bow. Gorgeous emerald eyes glittered with excitement at unfamiliar surroundings. But most of all, the confidence Sakura exuded when she dressed up was by far the most captivating thing about her; he loved the way she held herself proudly. In all honesty, anyone could mistake her for a goddess. It was hard to miss the stares from nearby customers. Truly, he was honored to be treating Sakura to dinner.

After all, it was no secret that in childhood, a certain snobby Uchiha had been Sakura's object of interest, but that was no longer the case; Sakura had seen his petulance with time and eventually distanced herself to being good friends. That meant Madara had one fewer person to worry about; he could've lost the love of his life if she hadn't woken up and smelled the coffee. It was a shame for Sasuke though - he didn't know what he was missing.

He poured a bit of sake into two cups. "Here, take one."

"Thanks," she muttered, pulling her drink to her side of the table gingerly. They clinked glasses.

"So," Madara began, leaning back into his chair, "I trust you didn't pass out again after I left?" His lips tugged into a devilish grin as he lifted the drink to his lips. The light, clean flavor rolled over his tongue. His date's features softened as she, too, tasted the liquid. Her cheeks flushed as she downed the rest of her drink.

"No," she sniffed, eyeing her empty cup. "Thankfully I didn't. What kind of sake is this, by the way?" She asked, inspecting the intricate floral designs on the sake bottle. "It's really good."

"I'll tell you if you kiss me," he teased. After seeing the her eyes narrow, Madara acquiesced. She'd clearly taken precautions to resist his more playful advances. That meant he had to step up his game. "It's locally brewed sake that the chef recommended. I can ask for the name later."

"Mmm." She licked her lips. "Pour me some more."

He tipped the bottle once again, filling Sakura's cup. He'd always heard she was a hell of a drinker, but he'd never witnessed it before (Sasuke had always been careful to keep them apart while Sakura was drunk). All he could rely on were Sasuke's recounts after a big night out. The night Sakura received admission to medical school had been particularly interesting to hear about. Apparently, that night she downed at least 3 bottles of wine by herself before finally feeling the need to throw up. It was also rumored that she punched a hole through her bedroom door in a drunken bet with her best friend Naruto. His nephew had not exaggerated, though. Glass after glass, Sakura downed the sake with no problem. Though she didn't _seem_ to be drunk, her face was definitely glowing.

"It's a good thing nothing happened after I left, though." His deep laugh shook the table. "If something happened and Sasuke found out, I'd be in heaps of trouble. That boy is very protective," he observed as he poured her another cup, filling it to the brim.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "I don't blame him. Between you and me, you've probably traumatized him enough to last a lifetime. I mean, you embarrass him wherever he goes. It's only natural he would want to protect us too."

"That's just how I show my love," Madara winked. He reached across the table and rested his hand on top of hers, rubbing his thumb in circles along her smooth skin.

Immediately, Sakura went speechless, a deep shade of red coloring her cheeks. Her small form went rigid, and the hand beneath Madara's felt stiff. Her eyebrows furrowed in exasperation. Teasing her had to be one of Madara's favorite past times.

"You! I don't - What? I can't …" He watched his date struggle to form coherent words, much less coherent sentences, with amusement. In the end, she glared pointedly at her chopsticks and downed her newly poured drink. Adorable.

Their moment of silence was interrupted by a waiter, who appeared by their table, hands carrying a giant plate of carefully arranged sashimi and other seafood. Madara scanned his eyes over the newcomer. He couldn't have been that much younger than Sakura, and the confident gleam in his eyes made Madara twitch. Certainly, many people would find him attractive; his bone structure reminded Madara of a few very famous actors' faces. And judging from Sakura's reaction, she found their server rather attractive as well.

 _Junji_ , Madara thought as he read the shiny nametag on their server's shirt.

Junji laid the plate in front of the pair and smiled. "Please, enjoy," he smiled, side-eying the rosy-cheeked woman. "Please let me know if you need any kind of assistance." He bowed before walking away.

However, Madara noticed a small piece of paper wedged under the plate. A knowing look crossed his expression. Sakura seemed to pick up on this, verdant eyes following his gaze to the scrap piece of paper.

"That's sweet," she cooed, slipping the paper out from underneath the plate. "I've never gotten a number this way before."

"Hmph." Jealous? Madara never got _jealous_. Other people could try to win her affections, but they didn't have years and years of friendship to build upon. Furthermore, Madara knew better than anyone else that Sakura cared more for personality than looks; his own nephew was proof of that. "Junji" could be the most horrible person on the face of the earth for all Madara and Sakura knew.

Sensing lingering eyes, Madara looked up to meet Sakura's mirthful gaze. She'd lifted an eyebrow and was watching him, expecting some sort of reaction.

Gracefully, Madara snatched up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of tuna. He moved it close to Sakura's mouth, an innocent smile plastered on his face.

"Open wide."

Her expression immediately soured. "Over my dead body." Miffed, Sakura pressed her lips together tightly. Even when he tapped the cut of tuna on her lips, she refused to budge, a steely glint in her eyes.

Time to turn up the smolder.

Madara leaned his body in a little closer, furrowing his eyebrows together and looking up at her through his eyelashes. "Please?" He whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

At this, Sakura's mouth gaped, her face as red as a strawberry. Her shoulders trembled, and her eyes just stared straight ahead. Madara took this opportunity to lay the fish neatly across her tongue and use the tip of his finger to push her jaw shut. Even doing that did not prompt her to chew. She just sat there, flustered, eyes unfocused, no idea of how to react.

Madara sank back into his seat and acquired his own piece of tuna, a gleeful smirk on his lips. "Good, isn't it? You should try the salmon, it's one of my favorites." He chewed on his food thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Although I have to say, the Amberjack comes in a close second."

She just continued to sit there as if he'd never spoken.

But he caught a strange look in Sakura's eyes after a period of inactivity, and it was after that look that she took a deep breath, took another swig of sake, and smiled coyly, any trace of embarrassment now gone. He watched Sakura slowly chew the tuna he'd fed her and swallow. She maintained eye contact with him as she ate, a rather different air to her this time. Madara couldn't quite place his finger on it, but perhaps, he'd just flipped a dangerous switch.

"It was delicious," she replied evenly. "Allow me to return the pleasure." Carefully, she slipped her chopsticks between her fingers and picked up a piece of salmon. "You said this was your favorite, right?"

Madara nodded, his heart beating at a minutely faster pace. What was she playing at?

The corners of her lips tugged upwards lightly. "Open up then, _Master_ Uchiha."

Hearing that, Madara's eyes widened, and the faint smile that traced his lips was now gone. His heart thumped irregularly as he lifted a brow, heat slowly but surely engulfing his body. He felt the smooth wooden armrest beneath his fingers crack with his surprise. He glanced down to see that the wood had splintered along the sides. Immediately, he released his death grip on the chair.

Did Sasuke tell? Did she know that hearing those two words spill from her mouth had been in one of the best dreams in his life? Madara shut his eyes. Sasuke wouldn't dare. He may have had a stick up his ass, but he would never tell her about _that_ dream. Or would he?

"Heh." A smug smile appeared on her lips, no doubt a result of the faint blush on his face and his speechlessness.

She'd completely thrown him off, and she was proud of it. This challenge that Sakura was issuing … he would not back down. A deep breath later, he met Sakura's eyes defiantly and nodded. "Of course. But I'd much rather you feed me an oyster." He had no doubt she knew what he was referencing.

Unexpectedly, Sakura's bottom lip quivered. "That's unnecessary, Uchiha. I thought I was enough for you." Her eyes watered, but Madara knew better than to fall for her crocodile tears; the tiny smile she'd tried to hide slipped through.

"Undoubtedly," he beamed. "But I'd like to demonstrate to you just how much I have to give."

Sakura offered him a half-lidded grin, her sorrowful pretense broken. "One step at a time, you monster. Now open up."

She held the salmon to Madara's lips expectantly. Well, he couldn't disappoint her now. So, he leaned forward to bite off the salmon from the tips of her chopsticks. He made sure to lick his lips after slowly, and he made sure she was watching.

"Happy?"

"Very."

Madara slid his eyes closed, allowing a sigh to escape from his lips. Capturing Sakura's heart was going to be worth every second of his time.

xxx

yoooo so i wrote another chapter. still trying to figure out my writing style and stuff like that, so suggestions and criticism are very much appreciated

for real tho, i don't understand how people can describe so much about an event when i struggle to even come up with words to write


	3. Chapter 3

The sweet smell of vanilla and coffee permeated the air as Sakura strolled down a narrow aisle of a local used bookstore. Outside, raindrops splattered against dirt, and the earthy smell still lingered at the back of her mind. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. Emerald eyes traced over worn spines of medical tomes. They landed on a blue book, and curious fingers tugged it out of its place on the bookshelf. A dreamy smile pulled at her lips as she opened the book, fingers tracing over detailed anatomical drawings. Simply put, Sakura was in heaven. Without hesitation, she sat down on the tiled floor and placed the book in her lap. She tucked damp locks behind her ears and started reading.

After her heart-racing date with Madara a few days ago and some unexpected and very expensive gifts appearing on her doorstep, Sakura appreciated the quiet atmosphere of the bookstore and the muted pattering of rain right outside - it was a nice change of pace. She pored over the pages with diligence, studying the complex nature of the eye and its different functionalities in different species.

She flipped through the pages, tilting her head at every point she found interesting. Her eyebrows furrowed whenever the book mentioned obscure scientific terms. Fingers rubbed the worn pages, taking in the rough texture of the paper. She was so engrossed in the book that a large shadow looming over her did not distract her at all.

"Hey there."

Unwillingly, Sakura peeled her eyes away from her book. She looked up, mouth twisted with annoyance. Her eyes landed on the figure before her, and she jumped, heart rate suddenly spiking. The bookshelf she was leaning against rattled. It was none other than Madara Uchiha, smiling down at her. And of course, he was handsomely dressed in a long wool trench coat that probably costed hundreds of dollars.

"God," she hissed, clutching her chest. Her pulse refused to go down. "You scared me! How long were you standing there for?"

Madara smirked. "Ever since you were on page 167."

She looked down to see that she was nearing page 200 and blushed angrily. He'd been watching her for a while. "That's a little creepy, you know."

"You were too cute. I didn't want to interrupt," he chuckled quietly, bending down to her height and poking her forehead, smoothing over the wrinkle between her eyebrows. Sakura did her best to maintain her scowl. "When did you get here?"

Sakura glanced at her watch. It read 12:37 pm. "Like an hour and a half ago?" Her stomach grumbled loudly upon saying this. She hadn't realized she'd been reading for that long; the plan had been to cook something at home after buying a few books. She shut her mouth quickly and looked away from Madara.

"Hungry?"

"No."

"You sure?"

Her stomach rumbled again and a heavy blush settled on her cheeks. Of course her stomach had to voice its opinion at such an inconvenient time. "Yes."

"Let's get lunch," he smiled, rising to full height and offering a hand. "My treat."

"This isn't a date, is it?"

"Of course it is." His hand remained outstretched. A confident grin pulled at his lips.

Sakura sighed and placed the heavy book in his hand. She didn't want to eat alone anyway. "Fine. But you're also buying this book for me. I was just getting to the good part."

He raised a dubious brow, probably wondering how a book titled "A Comparison of Ocular Capabilities Across Species" could possibly be interesting. Nevertheless, he tucked it away under his arm.

"It's a good book," she protested, getting to her feet.

"I never said it wasn't," he replied, pressing his lips to her temple and slinging his free arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting across from each other at Ichiraku's in a private booth, happily slurping at their ramen. At least Sakura was; Madara seemed more content to just watch her eat, occasionally picking at his food. She let a satisfied sigh escape her lips. Ramen on a rainy day was truly the best. She drank the last of her soup and leaned back in her chair, completely stuffed.

"Here." Sakura looked up to see Madara holding a napkin. Gently, he gravitated forward and wiped at the corners of her lips.

"That was unnecessary," she pouted, the tips of her ears turning red. Sakura hated how Madara could always find new ways to embarrass her, and he was just so … _natural_ about it. She really wished that courage didn't come to her in the form of alcohol (which had helped immensely on their dinner date), but at least she was having an easier time resisting his lesser teasings now; being embarrassed 90% of the time in Madara's presence would get overwhelming at _some_ point.

Madara refused to relent, swiping his thumb over her lower lip while a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Oh, look. You've got something here, too." A few moments later, his face was a few inches closer to hers. Sakura could almost see the tiny blood red flecks in his irises. "It's not coming off. I think it needs more friction -"

Immediately, she slapped a hand over his puckered lips, her eyes narrowed into slits and cheeks hot from embarrassment. There was no way she was going to let him kiss her in _public,_ even if they had a booth that shielded them from possible acquaintances. Sakura didn't want people to assume that they were together.

"Come on," he mumbled against her palm. His warm breath tickled her skin. "Just a little bit."

Sakura ignored the tingling that shot from her palm to her heart. "No." She pushed his face a good distance away, removed her hand, pointedly wiped it on her shirt, and nursed her tea instead. She did her best to ignore the playful gleam in his eyes. "How did you even know I was in that bookstore, anyway?"

"I saw you through the window when I was passing by. I also wanted to buy a book myself."

"Oh?" she took a sip of her tea, recalling that he'd left with a suspiciously short novel under his arm. He always seemed like the kind of person to read longer stories. "What book?"

A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he reached into his jacket and produced a familiar book with an orange cover. Immediately, Sakura blushed and snatched it out of his hands.

"Don't tell me you like to read this," she pleaded. The orange cover sent several memories rushing back to her. Years ago, when Sakura was still a kid, she accidentally picked up and read a book that Kakashi, her babysitter, had carelessly tossed onto the couch. That book was written by the same author of Madara's book. Even now, she could still remember the strangely specific and cheesy descriptions of intimacy that she'd laid her innocent eyes upon. From that day forward, she was never the same; the book had implanted several rather unrealistic expectations in her mind and introduced her to reproduction in the crudest way possible.

"I like reading it," he winked, plucking the novel out of her grasp. "It's very informative."

Another wave of blush crashed into Sakura's being. "For a book that's written by an old man who's probably never had a sexual encounter in his life?"

At this, Madara raised an eyebrow and quickly flipped the book open to a page in the middle and began reading aloud in a low, husky tone. Each sentence he uttered was more embarrassing than the last. Her horrified expression and embarrassment only grew as he continued whispering the lines, cupping her chin so she couldn't look away from his dark, stormy, concentrated eyes. Heartbeat accelerating, Sakura bit her lip. He occasionally watched her expression with amusement as he brought the words to life with the timbre of his voice. Suddenly, the story didn't seem quite so cheesy anymore, and the busy restaurant around them faded into the background. He leaned close, flooding her mind with the scent of rainwater and light cologne, letting every sigh brush over her cheeks. Sakura's head could explode; he was overwhelming every single one of her senses. The knowing smirk that graced his lips signaled the end of her torture as he finished the chapter he'd been whispering so passionately. Her trance ended the moment he snapped the book shut, and she remembered to breathe.

"Yes," he mused aloud. "I find it quite informative." He tucked it back into his jacket. "The writing is quite good as well."

Moments later, Sakura snapped out of her shock. "I can't believe you just read that out loud in public," she groaned, burying her face in her hands, doing her best to hide her flushing skin. Hopefully no one else had heard that. "You're so embarrassing."

"Mhm." He sipped his tea, but not before flashing her a smug look.

 _GOD,_ she thought angrily. _Why is he so attractive in everything he does? He just made a cheesy story actually sound good._

He was truly an insufferable man. An insufferable man who was overconfident. An insufferable man who always knew what to say to throw her off balance. An insufferable man who was so in tune with her emotions, it seemed that he knew her better than she knew herself. An insufferable man who she found undeniably attractive.

"I hate you." Sakura declared. Her heart skipped a beat at the lie.

"Well, that's a big lie right there," he replied, a frown gracing his regal features. "Should I prove that you're lying right now?" He rose out of his chair and tilted her chin upwards with a single finger. Thin lips drew dangerously close to hers.

She also hated that she wore her heart on her sleeve. "Ok fine. I don't hate you," Sakura muttered, pulse quickening. "You're still really embarrassing, though." She averted her gaze, but her admission didn't seem to be helping in the "create-space-and-push-other-people-away-because-you're-scared-of-commitment-and-ruining-good-relationships" department. As much as she liked Madara, Sakura was scared of admitting her own feelings and making herself vulnerable, and he seemed to know that. Damn him for making her confront her emotions and attraction head on.

Madara tilted his head. "I was under the impression you said you liked me, or did I hear wrong the other day?"

"..." Sakura took a moment to respond. "Yeah. I like you," she huffed, remembering the moment those words escaped her mouth. "You don't need to remind me."

"Good. Because I love you more than you can even imagine." With that Madara leaned over the table and pressed a light kiss to the corner of her lips. After, he pulled back slightly, resting his forehead on hers.

Delicious heat radiated off his body. His handsome face and expressive, onyx eyes were now the only objects in her field of vision. A churning deep in Sakura's heart sent pricks rushing through her body and warmth through her chest as she tentatively reached out for Madara's collar. He watched as she bit her lip and hesitantly pulled him closer, and finally, they both slipped their eyelids shut as they met for a deep, long, dizzying kiss.

And Sakura was quietly happy that they had a private booth in the corner that shut them out from the rest of the world.

* * *

i like writing about food because i'm always hungry (i'll try to not write about food so much next time)

i've discovered that i like writing conversations

i tend to get caught up in word count

i figured out how to use the line! tbh the first chapter was supposed to have a line, but the story worked fine without it, too.

yay for writing at 3 am and posting at 4 am so you're not sure about the quality of your work

please review/follow/favorite it helps motivate me to improve


	4. Chapter 4

_Wanna go on a date today?_

 _Hanging out with Sasuke today._

 _Awww, that's no fun. I miss you._

 _You saw me three days ago. I haven't seen Sasuke in a while._

 _Let's go on a date this weekend._

 _Fine._

 _Where do you wanna go?_

For two and a half happy months, Madara and Sakura had been dating in secret. Soon after their impromptu ramen-date, they'd agreed to start going out officially. Of course, Sakura had laid out several terms before they could do so, such as keeping their relationship a secret (several Uchiha family members would have far too many questions) and promising that he wouldn't send her absurdly expensive gifts anymore. Despite the conditions, Madara was simply happy that his relationship with Sakura was flourishing; it'd been quite the process to get her to confront her attraction. While she still had trouble conveying her emotions, progress was still being made.

Besides, he could express his love to her in other ways; a few lyrics he'd written about her sat in his phone, ready for revision whenever Obito wanted to go over songwriting stuff for their unofficial band of two. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too irked to depart from their usual themes of revolution and politics.

In fact, he was filled with so much bliss that a secret smile constantly graced his lips. Many people had asked him about his recent excitement, but he kept quiet, instead looking through his text messages and wondering what Sakura might reply with - most of the time, he sent pictures of cute birds, cats, and dogs he'd seen while browsing the internet, and Sakura would exasperatedly ask him to focus on his job. " _Surely_ ," she would message, " _hearing witnesses of a robbery investigation is more important than hearing my opinion on the latest post by Umiko the Shiba Inu."_

Today was no different. Having just finished work, Madara lounged around in the Uchiha living room lazily, thinking of a melody he could assign to the lyrics he'd written and planning out their date during the weekend. Speculative fingers plucked at metal strings as he mulled over each chord.

Musical jingling of house keys and shuffling feet quickly snapped him out of his reverie.

Madara stopped strumming his guitar and looked up from his nest of blankets on the couch. He watched his nephew readjust the sleeves on his jacket and tie his shoelaces. "Where are you going?"

"A bar," Sasuke replied curtly. He remained focused on his shoes.

Madara tilted his head, an innocent smile on his lips. "Alone?" With this question, two pairs of dark eyes clashed.

"Hn."

Their staring contest lasted a full minute, snarky grin meeting annoyed pout, but in the end, the tension subsided as Madara waved him off and returned to strumming his guitar. "Have fun drinking alone." Being nicer to Sasuke had been one of Sakura's requests. On a normal night, he'd call Sasuke's bluff and crash the party, but Sakura wasn't wrong when she'd said that making a certain moody nephew's life 10x more difficult might bite him in the behind one day. Even though Madara knew himself to be a big dick sometimes, he wasn't completely heartless.

"Sasuke?" The younger Uchiha stopped at the door, hands grasping the knob tightly. "Let me know if you need a ride home."

As expected, the door opened and slammed shut.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke."

Sakura nodded at the brooding man as he slid onto the dingy barstool beside hers with a grunt. The light above their heads flickered and generic rock music blared from a broken speaker in the ceiling. She sipped her whiskey and sighed in appreciation, relishing the burn deep within her chest. Today had been a difficult day; when a family of 5 rushes in, all plagued with some kind of infection, broken limb, or both, you're bound to get overwhelmed, and a nice drink of whiskey does wonders to an agitated mind. Also, keeping her new relationship under wraps was harder than she'd expected, especially when words like "boyfriend," "Madara," or "girlfriend" popped up, startling her (admittedly, the relationship was going pretty well, and Madara was rather dedicated to the guidelines she'd set). It may have been the middle of the week, but Sakura seriously needed a de-stressor.

With each glass, all her worries slowly melted away, loosening her limbs and sending a faint buzz into the back of her mind. She seriously considered getting wasted; her hangovers were never _that_ unbearable after all. It was too bad that getting totally smashed at bars normally costed her boatloads of money, even if they were at one of the cheaper places in town.

"How many drinks have you had?" Sasuke flagged down the bartender and muttered his order.

"Hmm." She delicately sniffed her drink. "Five? Six? I don't really remember."

"You've had eight, miss," the bartender offered, sliding her companion a shot of tequila. "That's your ninth."

"Geez."

"Oh." Sakura gulped the rest of her whiskey and slammed the cup on the table. "Make it ten - I want a Screwdriver. You can call a taxi for me later, right?" Her tired eyes met Sasuke's as he placed his glass down firmly and nodded. His distaste with his drink showed through narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. "Why'd you order that? I know you hate tequila." She half-smiled, catching the glass the bartender eased over. Orange liquid sloshed over the rim.

An aggravated sigh escaped his lips. "Madara's been acting weird for the last few weeks. It's been getting on my nerves. Wanna numb the feeling a little."

Sakura stiffened, fingers tightening around her glass at the mention of her (secret) boyfriend's name. Boyfriend. It was so weird to label Madara as her boyfriend after years of hectic friendship. Thinking of how he'd attack her with cuddles and spam her messages with cute animals sent a faint flush into her cheeks. "How so?"

"He hasn't been bothering me as much and he's had this weird grin on his face. He hasn't been acting … normal."

Sakura chugged her new drink. Maybe if she drank enough, Sasuke could mistake the redness on her cheeks for the effects of the alcohol. "I can't imagine why," she muttered, motioning to the bartender. She wanted another drink and fast. Right on cue, the bartender slid a margarita her way, and Sakura sipped her drink in silence.

"Hn. It feels weird that he's been bothering me less. Maybe it's a girl."

"TBTTHTH!" A projectile of alcohol and spit flew towards Sasuke's face, which he expertly ducked under.

"Hey, what was that for!?"

"Sorry," she coughed, aiming her mouth into her sleeve. _Damn, he's perceptive!_ It was no wonder he had become a private investigator. "But Madara? And a girl? Why do you say that? He's a pretty strange guy - I mean, who could find that alien attractive?" she rambled.

 _Me_. _I find him attractive._

Sasuke looked at her strangely, quirking an eyebrow, regarding his friend for a few, long seconds. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he's liked you for the longest time."

"Whaaat? No way!" Sakura widened her eyes and slackened her jaw, hoping she was a passable actress. Thankfully, he and Naruto always had this weird belief that their pink-haired friend was oblivious to other people's feelings.

"I didn't want to creep you out," he continued, "but I guess it doesn't matter anymore." He tapped a finger on the table, signaling for another shot, which he promptly downed. "You know how he used to talk to you a lot when Naruto, you, and I were together? Well, he'd also always ask if I was meeting up with you and it was annoying. Like a middle schooler in love." A half lidded stare landed on Sakura. "And you know how he once told me about this - _ugh_ \- dream that involved you and I said it was just a really messed up dream? He doesn't bring it up anymore. He's stopped talking about you completely but still has a far-away look on his face. I'm confident he's moved onto someone else he can obsess over … Sakura?"

She blinked owlishly. "What?"

"You're strangling your cup."

She looked at the web of cracks spidering up the glass. "Whoops," she breathed. Having seemingly superhuman could be so inconvenient at times. And hearing Madara's affection for her out loud from Sasuke of all people only helped solidify her embarrassment.

"You never liked him back though, right?"

 _CRACK!_

The glass in her grip shattered, shards spilling out of her palms and onto the table.

"Shit! Are you ok?" Strong hands grasped hers, picking away the remaining flecks of glass.

Blood rushed to her cheeks. "N-no!"

Sasuke whipped out his phone, panic in his normally calm, stoic eyes. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No, I'm fine," she corrected hastily, grabbing a napkin and sweeping the shards into a tiny pile. "I just have to wash it." Helplessly, her body began overheating from anxiety.

In a flash, the blur of pink was in the restroom, holding her hands under the sink and glaring in the mirror. Staring at herself, Sakura repeated: "you will get yourself under control" as she scrunched her face up.

Out of all the people who should know about her relationship with Madara, Sasuke was the person who most absolutely could not know. Despite his acknowledgements that Sakura was a grown woman and could make decisions for herself, Sasuke would undoubtedly do his best to keep them apart, making everything a bigger deal that it should've been.

Once her racing heart calmed (and after she apologized to a very worried patron waiting to use the sink), she clambered her way back to her seat at the bar. The mess had been cleaned up, and she apologized profusely to the disgruntled bartender.

Dark brows knit together. "You ok?"

"Yep."

"Why'd you break the glass then?"

"I was just … rattled ... by your question."

"Which question?"

Sakura stared at a particular bottle of liquor sitting on the shelf and pointed at it, to which the bartender pulled it down from the shelf. "Nothing. Can I get some of that?" His question had hit a _little_ too close to home. A foul tasting liquid slid down her throat, but it was strong, and her grip on the shot glass hid any quivering.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, most likely not in a mood to pry; he did enough as a career anyway. Perhaps he thought Madara was just too "creepy" of a subject to discuss. "Ok then. What about you? Why are you drinking so much tonight?"

Her grip slightly loosened at the change in subject. "Just … stress with patients in general. It was a crazy day at the clinic today." She laughed breathlessly. "A whole family came in with all kinds of problems. Even after they left, they just made more problems."

"Oh?"

"You wouldn't believe the story my patients told me even if I told you. You should've been there." Her eyelids drooped as the stronger, dizzying effects of alcohol started kicking in.

Sasuke smirked. "Try me."

* * *

Madara glanced at his watch as the TV program went to commercial. It was late. The hour hand ticked to the one, and he narrowed his eyes as he stifled a yawn. Sasuke never stayed out this late one a work day. Not to mention that Sakura was with him, and they'd gone out drinking. Had something gone wrong?

His phone flashed with a notification from Sakura, and he snatched it up.

 _Oskjldksjf_

"... Huh?"

As soon as the word left his mouth, his phone flashed with an incoming call. He picked it up immediately.

"Hello? Sakura?"

" _M-draaaa~"_ Her voice slurred into his ears, a lot more playful and loose than normal.

He rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. He was now up on his feet and pacing back and forth. "Sakura, how drunk are you?"

" _ **Super**_ _drunk!"_ She giggled hysterically, but annoyance quickly pervaded her tone. _"Sasukeee, what do you think you're doing?"_

For a moment, Madara could hear nothing but fumbling noises and loud hiccups.

"Sasuke?"

" _Hello?"_ Sasuke replied. _"Uncle?"_ he breathed, shock in his voice. _"I don't know why she called you of all people."_

In the background noise, Madara could make out faint groaning and retching sounds.

"Does it really matter? What's going on?" he sighed.

It took Sasuke a moment to reply. _"Sakura got super hammered tonight. I tried stopping her. I've been trying to send her home for the past hour but she refuses to move from her stool."_

"Can you try to carry her to a taxi?"

" _No, she struggles too much, and she probably couldn't make it into her apartment anyway. Normally Naruto would be here to help, but … Anyway, she's also got a huge tab and I didn't bring enough cash."_

"What happened to her money?"

" _She doesn't have enough either."_

"Should I come get you two?" In his mind, Madara already knew the answer.

Now, he could hear Sakura crying, laughing, and yelling, all at once.

" _Whoa, Sakura put that down!"_ Faint arguing echoed into the receiver. Mostly, it was Sakura shouting expletives and loudly groaning about how she regretted drinking as much as she did and how she might puke if she moved. _"...yeah,"_ Sasuke groaned after a few moments, voice tinged with reluctance. _"Come get us. We're at the bar on Founder's Street."_

Within a few seconds, Madara had his car keys and wallet in hand, a streak of determination in his eyes, and within minutes, his car was screaming down empty streets and screeching around corners, filling the night air with the smell of burning rubber. One of the perks of being a police officer also included blasting his siren to scare off straggler cars blocking his way as he made his way to one of the sketchier places in town.

He parked himself in front of the rickety building that was illuminated by a half-broken neon sign and swept inside. Sure enough, there they were, huddled at the bar. At the sound of the door crashing open, Sasuke snapped his head towards it, and for the first time in his life, seemed happy to be in Madara's presence (though he wouldn't admit it out loud).

"Is she ok?" He stooped down by the passed out drunk and brushed pink hair aside to get a better look at her glowing red face. Drool leaked out of the corner of her mouth, and her cheek was squished against the wooden table.

"She'll wake up every few minutes and ask where she is," Sasuke replied, wearily wiping sweat from his brow. Now, he seemed completely sober. "And if you try to move her she'll complain."

Madara observed her quietly before turning to his nephew. There was no way she was getting home herself. "Have you paid your tab?"

"Of course," Sasuke huffed, nodding to the obviously bothered bartender, who was vigorously polishing a cup.

Madara reached into his wallet tossed a few bills onto the table. "Get a taxi home. I'll take care of her."

Annoyed, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "No."

"Why not?"

"You're going to be a pervert and take advantage of her."

Madara rolled his eyes and snorted. "While I may have taken pleasure in annoying you, I have no intentions of becoming a sexual assaulter. Go home and rest. You have work tomorrow," he replied in his 'official police officer' tone.

"Swear it on your job," Sasuke hissed after a moment of consideration. It was clear that the notion of work pushed him into more convincible territory. "If I find that you do anything … untoward … to Sakura, you quit your job as Chief-of-Police and you leave her alone. Forever."

Madara stared right back calmly. "I swear it." Sasuke may have been one of the finest investigators in the country, but there'd be nothing untoward for him to discover.

"Hn." Sasuke trudged out of the bar, throwing doubtful looks over his shoulder, but he eventually disappeared as the door slammed shut behind him.

Now, Madara directed his attention towards the bartender. "I'd like to close her tab, please."

"This is what's left of it." A long receipt was slid in front of him, and his eyes widened in surprise. For a person of any size, drinking that much was certainly impressive. He made a note to himself to never challenge his girlfriend to a drinking contest because he'd surely lose. Nevertheless, he placed a few (very large) notes in front of the bartender. "Keep the change."

The various broken cups and bottles littering the floor were no doubt results of Sakura's handiwork.

"Sakura?" Madara leaned in and stroked her sweaty pink locks gently.

"Mdara?" Disbelief colored her voice as she lifted her head out of her arms and filled his nostrils with alcohol-breath. "... hands?" Her eyes were swollen from crying as she held out her scraped hands, and a thin sheet of ice gripped his heart.

He stared hard at the cuts - there weren't any visible pieces of glass. "What happened? Did you clean it yet?"

"Yesh," she sniffled, eyes tearing up. Her body rocked unsteadily. "Sorry I panicked when he asked if I ever liked you." Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "I broke the cup n' now the bartender hates meeee."

A tiny grin fought its way onto Madara's lips. It was funny how even in this situation, the woman before him could still be so charming. Large hands rubbed circles over Sakura's back. "It'll be ok. I paid him back for the stuff you broke."

"...oki."

"I'm taking you home. Can you walk?"

She nodded weakly. He watched as she stumbled off her barstool, catching her before she face planted onto the ground. Her weak flailing limbs, calmed the moment he hugged her close, and a chuckle rumbled in his chest as she took a sudden interest in a lock of his hair, yanking and twirling it around her fingers.

"Upsy Daisy." In one smooth motion, Madara lifted her into his arms, cradling her. He could feel her burrow her face into his chest, hand still entangled in his hair, sending heat to his cheeks. Carefully, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. If it weren't for the fact that she could puke her guts out at any minute, Madara would consider this to be a heartwarming moment. "So why did my princess drink so much tonight?" He strode out the entrance and tugged open the passenger door to his car. Carefully, he slid her into the seat, making sure that the seatbelt was completely secured.

"Don't call me princess," she complained. Suddenly, she whipped out a hand and waved it in front of Madara's face. "I was _this_ close to spillin' our relationship to Sasuke," she admitted. "An' I also had 'n awful day at work."

"I see. Let's try to limit alcohol consumption next time." He shut her door and made his way to the driver's seat, taking care to accelerate slowly and pull into the road at a comfortable speed. In the back of his mind, he could clearly picture the path to her apartment; he'd spent the past few weekends at her domicile and making his way there was almost instinctual by now. The ride was completed in relative silence; Sakura dozed off part way, filling the cabin with light snoring.

Finally, the car arrived at a quaint, two story apartment complex, and Madara carefully extricated the sleeping girl from the car and lifted her in his arms, carrying her up to her room. He had fished the spare key out of his pocket and gently unlocked the door to her cozy apartment. As best as he could, Madara prepared her for bed, wriggling her out of alcohol stained sweatpants and sweaty top and sliding a clean, oversized shirt onto her body. And of course, the shirt he'd slid onto her was the one he'd "accidentally" left at her apartment a week ago. As for himself, Madara simply stripped off his shirt.

As he settled down beside her, much like how he had the past few weekends, he hugged her to his chest.

"Madara?" A groggy voice mumbled against his skin. "Love … you"

A gentle smile touched his lips, and he shut his eyes, ready for sleep to consume him.

* * *

Despite the painful throbbing in her head, Sakura could feel that her body was encased in a familiar warmth, comforting enough to counteract her bitch of a headache. She could barely remember what had happened last night after trying to drunkenly explain nonsensical medical jargon to Sasuke while he tried to snatch her cup. After that, only bits and pieces came to mind. She did, however, recall nearly kissing the dirty floor before Madara caught her.

She could feel slight pinching and poking at her cheeks, distracting her from the gentle warmth. A weary hand attempted to bat the annoyance away, but a stronger one grasped her wrist, and rough lips peppered kisses along her palm.

She cracked open an eye to greet a bare chest. She guessed that was pretty normal in itself now - waking up to see a photo shoot-ready Madara lying next to her in bed. Except today was a weekday, she stank of alcohol, and her pink locks were piled into a rat's nest. Pulling back, she saw that Madara was teasingly poking and prodding her, an amused glint in his eyes.

"Good morning." He continued to poke exposed parts of her flesh.

She regarded him wearily before rolling back into the comfort of his wide chest. "I'm dying." That in itself was an understatement. Her entire body ached, and her head was pounding. Drinking so much last night had been a mistake.

"Well, it's a good thing I contacted the clinic and told them you were unwell, then. They called in backup today."

Sakura blinked, trying to get used to the feeling of having her needs met. It definitely felt strange to have some burdens taken off her shoulders, especially when she'd been rather self-reliant up until they'd started dating. "What about you? Don't you have work?"

"They'll understand." As if he could sense her uneasiness with his disappearance from his work for the day, Madara pinched her cheek reassuringly. "Obito is very capable."

Wordlessly, she hugged him closer; she was, at the end of the day, content that her boyfriend was with her. She hummed softly as his fingers tugged through her hair.

"Do you know what you told me last night before you fell asleep?" His chest rumbled with the deep rasp of his morning voice. Lazily, she shook her head and let the scent of his cologne fill her lungs. "You said you loved me."

Immediately, her face flushed red. She had no recollection of saying that, and it certainly sent all kinds of weird feelings tingling through her body to hear that she'd said it out loud. "Oh." she muttered. With the new heat in her cheeks she tried to roll away, but the hands encircling her waist and the legs entangling hers prevented any movement. In the two and a half months they'd been dating, the words "I love you" had never even slipped from her tongue out of sheer stubbornness. In her mind, Sakura had acknowledged that she'd grown to love the infuriating man beside her, but saying it out loud was entirely different; getting used to hugging him had already been hard enough.

"Could you say it again?" Madara whispered huskily.

Biting her lip, Sakura mustered the courage to utter the words again. He'd taken care of her while she'd been drunk (Naruto and Sasuke could first handedly affirm that was no easy task) and being her boyfriend had to be difficult. He deserved to hear it from her.

"I-I love you," she managed, the thrill of speaking those words coursing through her veins as she snuggled deeper into his chest.

Moments later, an achingly familiar voice filled the air. " _I-I_ _love you."_

The bastard had made a recording of her voice. "You are _such_ an asshole."

"I love you too," Madara chuckled, smothering her with a bear hug.

* * *

tbh i wasn't expecting to write this much for this story. I'd originally intended it to just be a one-shot kinda thing but it's now 4 chapters long o.o

im not quite sure what direction i'll have this take, but it'll most likely be snapshots of their relationship as time goes on. I think i'd be better at shorter stories (like one or two shots (?)) but i'll try my best

thanks for reading, and don't be afraid to give constructive criticism! I know what i'm doing like 50% of the time

[I only have 2 modes: I either write a rough draft of a chapter all at once or I just stare at a blank google doc and type one word every other day]


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